Controls at the entrance

France is currently under a strict security plan (Vigipirate) and thus the security measures at the festival have been strengthened. All the attendees will undergo security checks at the entrance of hall 8, before entering the festival, and then will be led to the lines in hall 7. All the attendees, their bags and belongings will be checked and palpated. Metal detector checks may be carried out if necessary.

This plan of action is set up for the attendees’ security and it may cause delay at the entrance, eventhough we’re doing our best to make the delay as short as possible. To make things easier and faster, please read this page and the list of forbidden objects carefully before coming to the event, and to open your coat and bag(s) when your turn is coming for security checks. We remind you that your face has to be uncovered when you are checked for security.

Anyone refusing to be checked at the entrance by our security agents will be denied the access to Japan Expo, even if they have an entrance ticket.

Forbidden objects

The security level has been raised, some items are forbidden at the entrance. If you bring one of these along, you can leave it at the checkroom in hall 8.

We remind you that only the security agents can tell which items are allowed in or not.

Weapon replicas

The festival rules remain strict about weapons, according to the French law: BEARING ANY WEAPON OR WEAPON REPLICA IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN IN THE FESTIVAL, whatever it is made of. As a reminder, this is valid for all public areas, including public transportation.

ONLY HARMLESS REPLICAS OF FANTASY WEAPONS ARE ALLOWED, ON THE CONDITION THAT THEY BEAR STRICTLY NON RESEMBLANCE WITH A REAL WEAPON. The latter and all the accessories that may be brought in the festival must abide by the following rules, valid for cosplayers as well as all attendees:

It can absolutely not be confused with a real weapon.

It must be made of harmless material only, such as foam, cardboard, light wood, or worbla.

It mustn’t have any part made of metal, metal items being strictly forbidden.

Checkrooms & changing rooms

To allow the attendees coming with forbidden items to get in the festival, a checkroom is set up in hall 8, before security check, on top of the two checkrooms inside.

The checkroom in hall 8 allows all the attendees who have come with forbidden items to leave them in the morning and collect them in the evening. As for regular checkrooms, there is charge and they are run by Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center. The checkroom in hall 8 is open from 7.00 am to 6.00 pm.

For the attendees who wish to change clothes and carry their costume in baggage to big to be allowed in, changing rooms are available in hall 8 for them to put on their costume and then leave their things at the checkroom before going through security.

Cosplayers

We remind you that those rules apply to all the attendees, with no exception and including cosplayers. Concerning cosplayers entering the contests, questions can be addressed to the cosplay team on www.facebook.com/epicassociation.